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\u201cFreckles are light to dark brown flat macules on sun-exposed skin,\u201d Hartman says. \u201cThey are often poorly defined and may merge into larger patches.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Libby agrees and says these oval-shaped brown spots occur only on sun-exposed skin and are not present at birth. \u201cFreckles can come and go, but usually start appearing as early as the first few years of life,\u201d she says. So just when you find yourself desperately wishing you had freckles all over your face, think again. These spots are caused by sun exposure and pigment transfer to the skin cells called keratinocytes. It\u2019s also important to note that freckles can only appear on the parts of the skin that get direct access to the sun.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even though freckles are benign, they are a direct result of unprotected sun exposure. \u201cFreckles indicate that you\u2019ve had sun exposure and damage and we know that sun exposure leads to photoaging like brown spots and wrinkles, as well as skin cancer,\u201d Libby says. \u201cFreckles are a good reminder to wear your sunscreen and keep your skin protected as much as possible from the sun.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
And yes, anyone can get freckles, no matter how light or dark your skin tone is.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n